There are so many things this time of year that aren’t actually hard. They just become significantly more annoying, expensive, or stressful when you wait too long to decide them.

Are we hosting Thanksgiving? Are we doing family photos? Do we need a babysitter for that annual December party? Am I really going apple picking this year, or can I officially stop pretending?

None of these need to become a huge project. Most of them just need an answer! And an answer now means one less thing circling your brain in October, November, and December.

So before October gets busy, we made a list of 20 decisions worth making now. Not necessarily 20 things you need to do this week. Just 20 things to decide so they can either move into your planner, onto a list, or completely out of your head!

Go through it slowly. Some will take thirty seconds. A few might need a conversation. The goal is simply to make life a little easier for your future self.

20 Decisions to Make Before October 1

1. Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving, traveling, or having a quiet holiday at home.

Tell people now, before the invitations, assumptions, or “I just figured we’d come to you” conversation you don’t want to have later.

You don’t need every detail figured out. You just need the answer!

2. Which weekends between now and Thanksgiving you’re protecting.

Pick two weekends you want to protect now, before they somehow become everyone else’s. Not “maybe we’ll keep that one open.” Actually put them on the calendar!

A free weekend in October can disappear very quickly if you don’t claim it first.

3. What your weeknight rhythm is going to look like this fall.

Which nights are for workouts, dinner at home, date night, errands, church activities, kids’ practices, or doing absolutely nothing?

You don’t need a rigid schedule, but having a general rhythm keeps you from reinventing the week every Monday.

4. Whether you’re doing family photos or holiday cards this year.

Photographer, DIY, last year’s photo, or no cards at all. All valid answers!

But decide now so you’re not panic-texting photographers in November or realizing on December 12 that you still need a picture of everyone looking in the same direction.

5. What you’re officially finishing before November, and what can wait until January.

One house project. One appointment. One lingering task you’ve been saying you’ll get to.

Decide what genuinely needs to happen before the holidays, then give yourself permission to move the rest to January.

There are very few things more freeing than realizing something does not need to happen this fall.

6. What Halloween actually looks like.

Costumes, school parties, trunk-or-treat, neighborhood trick-or-treating, hosting friends.

It can get complicated fast! Make the plan before October makes everything feel urgent.

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When we say “rest,” most of us picture the same image: horizontal, eyes closed, maybe a blanket involved. And sure, that’s rest. But it’s also just one kind, and if you’re the type who can’t sit still long enough for a nap, resents the fifteen minutes it takes to fall asleep, wakes up groggier than before you laid down, or simply doesn’t have a stretch of the day when the house is quiet enough to try — you might be writing yourself out of rest entirely.

Here’s the truth: Your body, your mind, and your emotions each get tired in their own way — which means they each need their own kind of recovery. Physical exhaustion isn’t fixed by scrolling. Mental fog isn’t fixed by sitting on the couch. And emotional depletion definitely isn’t fixed by powering through one more task.

So if napping isn’t your thing, or you simply don’t have the hour, here are ten other ways to actually rest.

Physical rest

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Add a “Use This First” Spot to Your Fridge

Choose one small bin or shelf for produce, leftovers, and ingredients that need to be used soon. Check it before planning dinner, packing lunch, or ordering groceries. You’ll waste less food, spend less time searching through the refrigerator, and make the “What should we eat?” decision much easier.

Something to do today:

Wash your makeup brushes. It’s one of those tasks that’s easy to put off. Wash them today and lay them out to dry so they’re fresh and ready for the week.

Something to do this week:

Pick one morning this week to change up your routine. Take your coffee outside, walk before work, stop somewhere on your way to the office, or make a breakfast you normally save for the weekend.

White Chicken Enchiladas

Page 113 in The Simplified Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded chicken (about 2 breasts or 1 rotisserie chicken)

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1/2 cup salsa verde

• 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup

• 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro, divided

• 10 flour tortillas

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. To a mixing bowl, add chicken, milk, salsa verde, cream of. chicken soup, half the cheese, and half the cilantro. Stir to combine.

3. Divide mixture in half.

4. Fill tortillas with half the chicken mixture. Roll to close.

5. Pour remaining chicken mixture over enchiladas, and top with remaining cheese and cilantro.

6. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

This is our team’s favorite dish to bring to a new mom. Make it in a disposable pan for easy cleanup!

Get ahead of your week & make time for the things on your agenda!

• Plan one solo outing this month

• Send out birthday cards for upcoming September birthdays

• Make a list of local fall events (pumpkin patch, festival, fair)

• Clean out gutters

• Schedule pest control appointment

👇What else are you putting in your planner this week?

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Carly printed her summer photos with Shutterfly and shared the best hack with us: Did you know linking your Costco membership gets you 51% off? Such a good excuse to finally print the photos sitting in your camera roll.

Emily is reading You Know Why by J.T. Ellison, who is basically a five-star novelist every single time. If she writes it, we’re reading it.

Next on Brittany’s TBR: We Burned So Bright. What are you reading right now?

You will love these $50 jeans! They have that perfectly classic fit with just enough trend to feel current.

Dusty bought this adorable dress for her daughter’s Meet the Teacher night. 🥹 Her daughter is the best teacher, so of course Dusty wanted to gift her the cutest dress for the occasion.

Our favorite (!!!) dress is back in brown polka dots! We’ve been known to sell this style out, so grab it while you can.

Putting pumpkins out soon? This garland is such a cute little way to add some Halloween fun ... if you’re ready!

Sneaker mules are definitely back this season! So cute, so comfortable, and so convenient to throw on!

How beautiful is this suede tote for fall?! It’s the perfect size for your everyday purse, work essentials, or even as a diaper bag. And the quality is next level!

We shared lots of music recs this week! Ella Langley and Sienna Spiro are on heavy rotation around here, especially during a workday.

Each week, we're answering your real-life questions — about routines, meal ideas, work-life balance, favorite movies, and everything in between. Got a question? Leave it in the comments!

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Q: “What is one task you love checking off — and one you tend to avoid?”

Emily: Picking up prescriptions or dry cleaning. I tend to put these things off because they are monotonous, but batching them together in one big errand morning helps me make sure we have what we need and those tasks aren’t lingering.

Brittany: I love putting away all of the laundry and my laundry room being spotless. Probably only happens once a week but it’s THE best feeling to me! Cleaning the bathrooms is my kryptonite, I put it off and then when it’s time to scrub, I regret that I put it off — it’s a silly cycle!

Whitney: I’m going to sound so weird here, but I love going through my email inbox and clearing it out each workday morning. It feels so good when it’s tidy and I’m caught up! I tend to avoid cleaning my office after a shoot, sometimes I’m just too wiped out to handle it that day.

Dusty: I love checking “dinner is figured out” off my list. There’s something so satisfying about opening the fridge, knowing exactly what I’m making, and having everything ready to go. The task I tend to avoid? Cleaning out the fridge. I’ll happily meal prep, cook, and feed everyone, but deciding whether that container of leftovers is still good? Somehow that’s where I draw the line.

Laura: Scheduling the appointments. I have to bribe myself with a little treat to make those happen. Those sit on my to-do lists for soo long, but I’ve learned that I need to just schedule the next appointment while I’m leaving the current one. Helps so much!

Carly: I love breaking down big work or home projects into smaller tasks and checking those off as I go. It is so motivating to see literally the progress happening on the page. I do tend to avoid putting away clean laundry. It always sits in the basket for way too long, but I do it every time!

Lindsey: I love checking off work tasks, especially when it’s a creative project I’ve been working on and I can finally call it DONE. At home, though ... I’m a professional procrastinator. I can finish a whole creative project before I convince myself to do the laundry that’s been piling up all week.

Liz: Placing my grocery order and checking that off my list is the BEST feeling every Sunday. I love planning and getting excited about our meals for the week, and placing an Instacart order takes an hour long outing and cuts it down to about 5 minutes. The best. The one I put off is putting laundry away 🙈. I don’t mind washing it, I don’t even mind folding it. But it will sit in laundry baskets for an embarrassingly long time.

🩷 Have a question for our team? Leave it in the comments and your Q might be featured next week!

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We’re working on some secret projects. Mark your planners for September 23 — you’ll want to be ready for this one!

Whitney and Carly are finalizing locations for our holiday photo and video content, which means rentals, product samples, outfits, models, and approximately one million tiny details. If you’ve ever wanted to be a real model for Simplified, apply here!

Behind the scenes at Simplified looks a lot like someone asking if something is “cute or ugly?” The honesty is usually brutal, and it makes us laugh every single time.

We all spent a lot of time this week getting everything ready for our Fall Reset Sale! It ends tomorrow, so don’t miss your chance to shop the new markdowns!

Fall Reset Checklist

A few simple ways to refresh your routines, space, and schedule for the season ahead. Save it to your phone, print it out, and check things off as you go!

What is inspiring you right now? How can you be more creative this season?

Get your journal for the season here.

Thanks for reading this week’s edition of Sunday Prep! We hope you have the best week! Can’t wait to chat Wednesday in our next Post! 💕

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Phew.

Did you hear that deep breath September brought in? School is back in session. Routines are kicking in. Dinnertime is a little more predictable. Pool towels aren’t in the laundry every single day. For those of us who thrive on a little structure, it finally feels like we’re coming back to ourselves.

Summer loosens everything — the schedule, the house, your grip on the whole operation — and that’s part of its charm. But somewhere along the way, “loose” can start to feel a little unraveled.

So before we dive into our Fall Simplicity Challenge later this month, start here. This isn’t a total overhaul. It’s a reset you can do in an afternoon, not a month, that will make a difference.

Reset your space.

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Put One Busy Hour on Autopilot

Choose the hour of your day that consistently feels the most rushed and create a simple default for it. Maybe mornings always include the same breakfast options, the after-work hour begins with changing clothes and starting dinner, or bedtime follows the same short sequence each night. Simplifying one predictable pressure point can make everything around it feel easier.

Something to do today:

Clean out your car’s cup holders and center console. Toss receipts and trash, bring stray items inside, and start Monday with a cleaner car.

Something to do this week:

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Here’s the thing about fall: We spend all of July counting down to it. The first cool morning, the first pumpkin patch, the first hot latte — we look forward to these for months! And then the season actually arrives, and somehow we’re drinking that first latte in the car, on the way to something else, already thinking about the next thing.

Before you know it, you’re moving through the season instead of actually living in it. Enjoying it. Loving it.

So this season, an invitation: slow down enough to actually notice them. Not just check them off — feel them. Here’s the list to keep in your back pocket.

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Close Out One Season Before Starting the Next

Before moving into a new season, take a few minutes to finish the small tasks left behind by the last one. Clean and put away the cooler, return borrowed items, wash the beach towels, or gather the outdoor toys. Making “closing out” part of every seasonal transition prevents unfinished tasks from piling up and helps you begin what’s next with less clutter — both around your home and in your head.

Something to do today:

Update your family’s morning and evening checklists today. Having everyone’s routines written down makes busy days run more smoothly and takes a few things off your mental load.

Something to do this week:

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Back-to-school week is here, bringing fresh starts, new adventures, and, of course, all the feelings. Somewhere this week, you’re standing at a curb, a classroom door, or a dorm room parking lot, watching your kid walk away from you and toward something you can’t follow them into. Doesn’t matter if they’re five or nineteen — it’s the same moment, just wearing bigger shoes. And whatever that walk looks like for you this week, we see you.

We wanted to say something before you get in the car: It’s okay to feel all of it!

The relief, because some days this summer were long and you’re allowed to be excited about getting your mornings back. The excitement and pride, because look at them — they’re ready for this. The sadness, because a version of your kid is quietly turning a page. And maybe a flicker of guilt for feeling everything at once. Don’t overthink that part. It just means you love them!

You’re not doing this wrong. You’re not the only one who sat in the car an extra five minutes before pulling out of the lot. You’re not the only one who came home to a too-quiet house and wandered around it for a bit. You’re not the only one who teared up at drop-off and then laughed at yourself for it thirty seconds later.

Every mom in that line is feeling some version of the same thing — yes, even the ones who look like they’ve got it all together, and yes, even the ones who said, “I can’t wait for school to start,” back in June.

A few reminders for whatever kind of drop-off you’re facing this week:

If this is kindergarten — good job, mama! You spent five years preparing them for this. Today is just the day they get to show you how ready they are.

If this is middle or high school — good job, mama! The silence in the car on the way home isn’t a sign anything is wrong. It’s just space. Let it be quiet. Or, if you’re craving conversation over silence, we’ve got a few starters for you.

If this is college — good job, mama! Go ahead and be proud, loudly. You raised someone capable of walking into a brand-new place and figuring it out. That was always the goal — and look at them now.

Whatever your version of today looks like, you don’t have to have your feelings sorted into neat little boxes by the time you get to work. You’re allowed to feel proud and sad in the same breath. You’re allowed to text a friend “I’m fine” and also cry in the Target parking lot twenty minutes later. That’s not a contradiction. That’s just what love looks like when it has somewhere new to go.

Here’s the part we hope you remember: You’ve done the hard, steady work of raising a person who is ready for what’s next — even on the days when it didn’t feel like it.

So we’re sending you a big hug through the screen this week, along with a very well-deserved round of applause.

You did good, mama. Now it’s their turn!

Put Every School Date in Your Planner

Gather the school calendars, team schedules, activity emails, and appointment reminders in one place. Add early dismissals, days off, practices, performances, and deadlines to your planner now. Handling the dates all at once helps you spot conflicts early and keeps important details from getting buried in an inbox.

Something to do today:

Choose a playlist, podcast, or audiobook for the week ahead. Having something ready will make errands, commutes, or chores more enjoyable.

Something to do this week:

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There’s a particular kind of quiet the night before school starts. Backpacks are ready by the door. Lunches are packed. And somewhere in between checking the alarm for the third time and laying out tomorrow’s outfit, there’s this feeling — equal parts excitement and nerves — that you want to hold onto this moment before it’s gone.

We think that feeling is worth doing something with!

This year, we’re starting a tradition: the night-before-school letter. One page, written by you, for them, the night before the first day. Not a to-do list. Not a pep talk. Just a few honest lines about who they are right now, and what you’re hoping for them this year.

You don’t need to be a writer. You just need a few good questions to get you started, so we did the hard part for you!

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Practice the Morning Routine Before You Need It

A few days before school starts, test the new morning schedule. Work backward from the time everyone needs to leave and see how long breakfast, getting dressed, packing bags, and loading the car actually take. One practice morning can reveal where you need more time before the first day arrives.

Something to do today:

Clean out the bag you carry most often and restock the essentials. Starting the week without old receipts and random wrappers feels much lighter.

Something to do this week:

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Here’s something we hear a lot: “My planner is full. There’s no room for anything else.”

We get it. But a full planner isn’t the paper’s fault.

Most of the time, it’s not that your week is too short or your planner is too small. It’s that everything gets treated like it belongs in the same spot — the dentist appointment, the volunteer sign-up, the thing you said yes to three weeks ago before you knew what this week would actually look like. They all land on the page the same way. Same size line, same pen, same weight.

Which means the things you actually want, the pumpkin patch, the Saturday with nothing on it, the dinner with the friend you keep rescheduling, never get the same treatment. They float around as someday ideas instead of getting a date and a time. And someday rarely wins against a Tuesday that’s already full!

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Take Notes for Next Summer

Before the summer schedule completely fades from memory, take a few minutes to think about what worked well and what felt harder than it needed to. Consider camps, childcare, travel, meals, activities, and the overall pace of your days. Write down a few things you want to repeat and a few you would do differently next year. These notes will make planning next summer much easier.

Something to do today:

Choose three outfits for the week and make sure everything is clean and ready. One less decision makes busy mornings easier.

Something to do this week:

Choose one evening to put your phone away and read for thirty minutes. Finish a summer book or begin one you’ve been meaning to start.

Sheet Pan Parmesan Chicken & Broccoli

Page 162 in The Simplified Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 (12oz) bag of frozen broccoli florets

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise

• 1/2 cup bread crumbs, divided

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place broccoli on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Cover chicken breasts with plastic wrap and pound them out until they’re roughly 3/4 inch thick.

4. In a bowl, mix most of the Parmesan cheese and all the mayonnaise, reserving a little cheese for topping.

5. Top each chicken breast with cheese mixture and then with breadcrumbs (save a little of these too).

6. Add chicken to baking sheet next to the broccoli.

7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees.

8. A few minutes before everything is done, sprinkle the rest of the breadcrumbs and cheese on top of everything.

Pro Tip: Throw some quartered petite potatoes in with the broccoli at the beginning. Yum!

Get ahead of your week & make time for the things on your agenda!

1. Send out birthday cards for upcoming August birthdays.

2. Leave cold drinks out for your delivery drivers

3. Create a back-to-school prep list

4. Empty and clean your ice maker

5. Replace air filters (especially if your AC is running hard!)

👇What else are you putting in your planner this week?

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It’s time to get those homework stations in check! Fill this rotating organizer with fresh school supplies to make afternoons a little more productive.

It’s also time to organize your fridge and pantry for lunch-making season! We love these storage bins and baskets for keeping snacks and lunch staples easy to see and grab.

Whitney says this is the world’s most supportive sports bra, and she wouldn’t enjoy running nearly as much without it!

This new Molly Yeh Collection is so adorable! We love the idea of mixing and matching an assortment of the dessert plates.

We’re still talking about this cooling pillow. 10/10 for a good night’s sleep!

Loving the stripe on these bath towels! They’re still classic and simple in white, with just the right touch of color.

Speaking of striped towels, this hand towel is so cute! Add a monogram to make it an extra-special gift.

This sleeveless sweater is exactly what August and September call for! It’s perfectly lightweight while still looking stylish.

Lindsey wanted to join in on all the back-to-school shopping, so she got these for her fall sneakers! We LOVE the ivory!

2026–2027 Planners are now 25% off! It’s the perfect time to grab a Softcover Planner for your kids to stay organized through the entire school year.

Each week, we're answering your real-life questions — about routines, meal ideas, work-life balance, favorite movies, and everything in between. Got a question? Leave it in the comments!

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Q: “How do you keep your Planner helpful instead of overwhelming?”

Emily: Honestly, I use it as a brain dump first and a schedule second — once everything’s out of my head and on paper, I can actually think.

Brittany: I leave the appointments and meetings on my iCal and don’t bother duplicating them on my planner. Using a dual-planning system helps me keep things simplified and streamlined, and my planner is my companion for work tasks, brain dumps, and any personal to-do lists.

Whitney: Mine is just what I need to do or remember for that one day. I don’t pre-plan the week or month in my planner but use it as a tool to stay focused throughout the day so it doesn’t start to feel like a chore.

Dusty: I keep my planner helpful by giving it a clear job instead of expecting it to hold everything. I write down what truly needs to happen and let the rest live in my head or on another list. White space is just as important as what’s written down. When planning feels supportive instead of crowded, I know I’m doing it right.

Laura: Keep it simple. Get everything I need to do out of my head and cross things out one by one. And I don’t worry about making it pretty or perfectly color-coded. It’s gotta be stoopid simple for it to stick.

Carly: I don’t put pressure on myself to keep things consistently pretty or perfectly organized. Some weeks are cute and colorful, some are barely filled in, and some look like a mad woman’s scribbles. And they all work for me, depending on the week I’m having!

Lindsey: I’m with Emily! I use my Planner as a daily and weekly to-do list more than a schedule, and it helps me remember that, right here and right now, this is what I can control. I use our Monthly Acrylic Wall Calendar for my schedule!

Liz: I use my Planner as a guide, not a rule book. I try not to let it stress me out when my day doesn’t go according to plan. If I have to scratch meetings out that get rescheduled, all good. If I didn’t cross off a few things on my to do list, no biggie — I just move them to tomorrow. I try to keep the big priorities at the top of my list and tackle whatever else I can.

🩷 Have a question for our team? Leave it in the comments and your Q might be featured next week!

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2026–2027 Simplified Planners have officially started, and we are so excited! We’ve each set up our Planners to work for our individual planning styles, schedules, and WFH routines, and we’re ready for a great work and school year. Happy August and Happy Planner Start week!

Liz is getting all our marketing ducks in a row for Fall Launch! She’s also gearing up to refresh lots of existing content, including our email and SMS flows, to make everything feel new and fun!

Brittany is processing lots of new wholesale orders this week and reviewing production proofs! Tell us in the comments: Where would you love to see Simplified in stores?

The August Journal Challenge

Take a few minutes each day this month to slow down, check in with yourself, and put your thoughts on paper. There are no right answers and no rules. Write a sentence, fill a page, or simply make a list!

1. What do you want August to feel like?

2. What is one small thing making you so happy right now?

3. Describe your perfect fall day from beginning to end.

4. What has this season of life been teaching you?

5. What is something you loved as a child that you still love today?

6. Where could you use a little more breathing room?

7. Make a list of ten things you’re grateful for today.

8. What is one goal you’d love to make progress on this month?

9. What song always puts you in a good mood, and what memory does it bring back?

10. What is taking up more of your energy than it deserves?

11. What is something you’ve changed your mind about recently?

12. If you could plan a completely free day, how would you spend it?

13. What is something you’re proud of yourself for handling recently?

14. What routines are helping you right now? Which ones are not?

15. What would you put in a time capsule from this summer?

16. What would be included in the starter pack for your current season of life?

17. If you could make one recurring plan with someone you love, who and what would it be?

18. Make a list of your favorite little luxuries that don’t cost much, or anything at all.

19. What do you wish you made more time for?

20. Describe your dream dinner party. Who is there, what are you serving, and what music is playing?

21. What is one expectation you’re ready to let go of?

22. What does feeling organized look like for you right now?

23. Write down five compliments you would give yourself.

24. What is one piece of advice you didn’t understand until you got older?

25. What is the first fall plan you want to put on the calendar?

26. What would your current season of life be called if it were a book chapter?

27. If someone handed you a plane ticket for Labor Day weekend, where would you go?

28. Where have you noticed growth in yourself this year?

29. What do you always say you’ll do when you have more time? Where could it fit into an ordinary week?

30. Write a note of encouragement to the version of you who started this month.

31. What do you want to carry with you from August into the month ahead?

What 2026 summer moment do you want to remember forever? Describe every detail.

Get your journal for the season here.

Thanks for reading this week’s edition of Sunday Prep! We hope you have the best week! Can’t wait to chat Wednesday in our next Post! 💕

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Happy August 1, Happy Planner Start Day, and Happy Simplified New Year!

YAY! You’ve made it to the final day of Planner Bootcamp! By now, your Planner is beautifully set up, your schedule is written down, your goals are in place, and you’re ready to take on the year. But here’s the part where most people get stuck: the follow-through. It’s the part where life gets overwhelming and you forget how helpful your Planner can be. Not this year!

Today we’re talking about how to actually use your Planner all year long, so it becomes a trusted tool — not just pretty (but empty) pages collecting dust on your desk. Trust us, as Planner people, we simply can’t allow that!

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Day four of Planner Bootcamp is here! Today’s setup is a little different and a lot of fun. Liz and Lindsey are going LIVE today at 11am EDT on Substack to answer your planning questions in real time. Whether you’ve been using your Simplified Planner for years or just started this week, we know questions always come up. That’s why this day is all about troubleshooting and customizing your system to work for you.

Here’s a quick guide to some of the questions we’ll be chatting through so you can listen in with your notes ready. Grab your coffee and join us!

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Welcome back to Day 3 of Planner Bootcamp! We’re having so much fun setting everything up together as a community.

Today, we’re opening those fresh pages and filling in all the dates, plans, and little details that will make your Planner truly useful. There is no “right” way to fill in your Planner. It just needs to make sense for your life, your family, and the way your brain works. Let’s get started!

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Welcome back to Day Two of Planner Bootcamp!

Yesterday, we spent time thinking about the year ahead and what we want it to look and feel like. Today, we’re getting practical! We’re taking those bigger goals and thinking about the routines that can help us follow through on an ordinary Wednesday.

Whether you want your days to feel more peaceful, productive, or organized, your routines are a good place to start.

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Welcome to Day 1 of Planner Bootcamp! 🎉 We’re so excited to start setting up our 2026-2027 Simplified Planners together. It’s much more fun pretending we are all in the same room, sharing stickers, and cheers-ing coffee, so for the next few days just know Planner Bootcamp is a positive space to connect with each other while building a foundation for your year. Give us a hi in the comments or in the chat and tell us where you’re setting up your planner! Don’t hesitate to ask questions along the way — you’ve got all of Team Simplified here reading comments and fielding questions.

Today is all about vision — setting the tone for the year ahead with intention and opportunity. A year without a vision is just a year that happens to you.

Before you fill in a single date, to-do, or task, we’re inviting you to pause. Dream a little. Ask yourself: What do I want this next season of life to look and feel like?

The Power of Goal Setting

Setting goals isn’t about hustling harder — it’s about deciding on purpose instead of drifting through your days. It’s the difference between letting the year happen to you and actually shaping it.

Even the small goals matter. Whether you’re saving toward a trip, working toward a promotion, or picking up a hobby just for fun, a goal gives your everyday effort somewhere to go. It’s proof you’re still moving, still growing!

How to Set Great Goals

A goal doesn’t need to be big or trackable to count. The ones worth keeping are the ones that actually sound like you — the person you’re becoming, not the person you think you should be.

Try framing them this way:

• What do I want to accomplish?

• How do I want to feel?

• What am I craving more (or less) of in my life?

If you’re not sure where to start, here are some ideas:

• “I want to read one book a month this year.”

• “I want to build a $3,000 emergency fund.”

• “I want to exercise in a way that I enjoy.”

• “I want to be more patient with my kids in the after-school rush.”

• “I want to try something new just because.”

You Don’t Have to Invent This Alone

Some of the best direction for your next season doesn’t come from inside your own head — it comes from watching someone else live in a way that makes you think, I want that. You can’t be what you can’t see, so go looking for it. Look for the person who changed careers later in life, the friend who took up an instrument as an adult, the stranger on your feed who started a small business from her kitchen table. Let them widen your sense of what’s possible.

Make Room for You

Somewhere between the school calendar, the work deadlines, and everyone else’s needs, it’s easy to forget that you’re allowed to want things too — things that have nothing to do with your job title or your role at home. A goal doesn’t have to serve anyone but you to be worth keeping.

This is your reminder: It’s okay to set a goal just because it sounds fun, or because you’re curious!

Try things like:

• Learn to needlepoint or play Mahjong.

• Write three sentences in a journal before bed.

• Read 10 books before December.

• Add a 2 minute run to your daily walk each week.

• Try a new recipe every Sunday, learn a new language, start a small herb garden — just because!

Success Looks Different In Every Season

There’s no single definition of “on track,” and comparing your season to someone else’s rarely tells you anything useful. A new grad building her first routine, a parent home with a newborn, someone deep in a demanding season at work — all three are moving forward, just toward different things, at different speeds.

Ask yourself:

1. What matters to me right now, in this specific season?

2. What small habits, done consistently, would move me forward?

3. What would it feel like to know I’m succeeding — by my own definition, not anyone else’s?

Emily: My goals this year are close to home. I want to find a new rhythm now that the kids are older — Brady starting to drive, the twins headed into middle school, everything shifting at once under one roof. I want to be the steady thing in the middle of all that change, the constant while everything else is new. And I want to find my joy again; somewhere in the last few years, hobbies became one more thing that got cut when the day ran long, and I miss having something that’s mine just because I like it, not because it produces anything. These matter right now because this is the season, not later, not when things calm down. My kids need to see that steady is possible even when life is loud and fast, and I need to remember I’m a whole person underneath all the mothering. My planner keeps it all visible so I can see the full shape of the season.

Brittany: Personally, I would love to create some down time for reading. I love to read so much, but it’s always the first thing to go in a busy season (looking at you, working mom summer). My brain needs a quiet, happy hobby to reconnect to. Professionally, I’m focused on helping our business grow and staying on track with all of the big projects and launches we have in the works. My planner is my lifeline to structure my days to be productive — and I love having a place to put pen to paper (and then cross items off the to-do list!).

Whitney: Personally, I’ve been on a major health journey since January — discovering gluten and soy allergies, along with hormone imbalances. Changing my diet has completely changed my life, energy, and creativity, so I’m currently training for a 5k and picking back up my creative hobbies. Professionally, I love the second half of the year. We’ll get prototypes and final samples for our 2027 products, make art for our licensing partners, and shoot content for next year’s launches. Sample season can get overwhelming with boxes upon boxes to look through, so I use my planner to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

Dusty: This year, my goals are pretty personal: I want to spend more time walking and more time working on me. Slowing down, getting outside, and taking care of myself in a way that feels sustainable, not rushed. This season feels like a good time to reset — to focus on my health, my mindset, and creating routines that support how I want to feel each day. I use my planner to keep these goals visible in small, simple ways: I’ll write in walks like I would any other appointment and keep gentle reminders throughout the week.

Laura: I’m really looking forward to getting back into the groove of planning out my workouts once the school year starts up again. August means structure is back for me, and this is the area I want to focus on the most. Each Sunday, my workouts are going into my planner with a timestamp, just like everything else does.

Carly: My personal goals this year include being creative outside of my job. I love how much creative consistency I have here at Simplified, so I’m on a personal mission to explore different ways of being playfully creative that aren’t tied to my professional life. My planner will help me carve out purposeful time in the mornings and evenings for this, and create bucket list items — like “learn to sew” — for me to cross off.

Lindsey: Professionally, I’m working toward creating a better rhythm for all the different hats I wear. I tend to bounce between tasks throughout the day, but I want to give each area of my work real, focused attention. In my planner, I’m color-coding days around specific work themes so I know exactly where to give 100% of my energy. Personally, I’m working on my own Substack — it’s become a creative outlet I work on in the evenings, and it’s accidentally helped me spend a lot less time scrolling. I know my best work happens when I dedicate real time to it, so I’ll use my planner to make that time visible and hold myself accountable.

Liz: Both personally and professionally, I’m working on settling in. We’re finally getting into the swing of things with two kiddos, and I’m figuring out what our new routines look like in this season. I thrive on consistency and a schedule, and newborn life throws that out the window — but figuring out the new rhythm feels really good. Setting routines means I can show up as the best version of myself, for my family, and for my team.

And for our whole team, one goal that never changes: make planning your life easier and more joyful — one page at a time.

Let’s turn your dreams into plans!

Supplies you’ll need:

• Magazines (our faves: Real Simple, Magnolia, Travel + Leisure)

• Polaroids, old tickets, print-outs from your Pinterest boards

• Stickers, washi tape, craft paper, glue

• Or — just your planner and a pen

Start a vision board in the front of your planner, or grab a blank notebook you’ll keep all year. Cut, glue, doodle, or write out what your dream life looks and feels like. It doesn’t need to be neat. It just needs to be true to you!

Prefer something ready-made? Download and print our pre-made vision boards here, styled after this year’s planner patterns:

Berry Stripe

Blush Hydrangea

Carolina Trellis

Pineapple Charm

If crafting isn’t your thing, spend 10–15 minutes writing your goals in the notes section instead. Note where you are right now, and where you’d love to be by next August.

Then ...

Fill out your bucket list.

What do you want to experience this year? It can be as big as “See the Eiffel Tower” or as small as “Try the new taco place down the street.”

Tomorrow, we’re diving into the practical side: setting up your calendar and routines.

But today? Let yourself dream! Have fun with this. Vision shapes action.

Have questions for our team? Bring them to the chat — we’re here to help all week, and always. 💕